Government of Thailand puts greater thrust on Medical tourism in 2014

Published on : Monday, January 6, 2014

medical-tourismThailand is becoming a major player in medical tourism with 2.5 medical tourists visiting Thailand in the year 2013. People from the UK, US, Gulf Arab States and Vietnam came to Thailand and spent as much as 4 billion dollars. Medical tourism is a fast growing industry where people travel abroad to get good medical facilities at better prices and Thailand has truly made a very good name for itself in this business.

The Thai government has made this industry its top priority with this surge in popularity for Thai healthcare; in fact, it is a national goal that Thailand will become the biggest Asian medical hub in the next three years. The increased interest from countries like Myanmar and Vietnam show that the wheels are already in motion.

The director of Bumrungrad International Hospital, Kenneth Mays, talks positively about the way the source countries saying that the economy is growing fast but the healthcare sector lags behind – meaning even more money is likely to come the way of Thailand.

For many, it makes much more sense to fly over the borders to receive top quality treatment, pay lower prices and avoid long queues than to stay at home. What makes this trend even more interesting, and more appealing to its Thai supporters, is that many of these medical tourists are not after complex or specialist treatments and there is, therefore, a wide range of patients to treat.

Obviously, this potential place on the global map is being seen as a positive step by many, and numerous supporters are encouraging governmental projects to increase growth in this area; however, there are also a number of protesters that see the negative side to the venture. It is worth remembering that medical tourism is a private sector that benefits foreign patients and while they get to enjoy the talents of doctors and lower costs, the Thai public may suffer from a lack of resources and increased prices.

Thailand prides itself on its skilled medics but hardly any foreign doctor is employed in the Thai hospitals. Thus, an already limited group of doctors may be stretched too far and taken out of the reach of the locals that need them just as much. Health Economics Research Director, Viroj Naranong, has echoed these concerns, going further by raising the potential problem of a lack of doctors to train the next generation, saying with more and more patients coming in, it will draw a lot of resources … especially from the teaching hospitals.

The Thai government is expanding the sector to attract more customers. It has plans of becoming the Asian leader in medical tourism. With so much money entering the Thai economy and foreign tourists eagerly booking their flights to take advantage of the greater opportunities that the private clinics and hospitals can provide the government is focusing on the local healthcare.

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